


Where To Stay When The Snow Falls

by AstridMyrna



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Cold Weather, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Huddling For Warmth, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-07-08 10:35:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15928679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstridMyrna/pseuds/AstridMyrna
Summary: The skies were clear when Cassian and Jyn were dropped off at Fest, but after a fight through a snowstorm and hyperthermia to reach the only inn in town, they're ready for a rest.





	Where To Stay When The Snow Falls

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pingou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pingou/gifts).



> Hope this brings some cheer Pingou!

Against all odds, they navigated through the sudden snow storm that pounded against the small Festian village tucked at the foot of one of the icy planet’s small mountains and arrived at the front door of the inn just before its keeper could lock it up for the night. The innkeeper was a gruff old bird with thick, gray braids long enough to a whip a man, but she listened to Cassian’s plea as Jyn sagged against his side, her eyes sealing themselves shut. She was exhausted from fighting knee-deep snow that somehow managed to get inside her boots and melt, making her three layers of socks heavy with frigid water. She shivered despite her layers of knits and parka that was supposed to keep her warm, but her bones were so cold that she could feel her skin burn.

“Stay awake, Jyn,” he said, his tone betraying his genuine fear.

He adjusted his arm so he could hold her up by the waist. The old woman rambled out something and suddenly the pair was stumbling inside, Jyn’s forehead bouncing against his shoulder. The air was instantly warmer and smelled of smoked cinnamon. The nearby fire crackled in greeting as Jyn was lowered into a chair. Her head lolled in the direction of the fire as Cassian yanked her boots off, only opening her eyes when he peeled her socks off. The air prickled against her wet, chapped skin, and she curled her toes until the uncomfortable sensation faded away.

“I don’t see any frostbite,” Cassian sighed, his eyes glittering in the firelight. “We were lucky. The inn’s full but she said we can sleep in front of the fireplace as long as we keep the fire going. She’s grabbing us some bedding and she’d heat up some supper for us for a few extra credits." 

“Well, at least we have that,” she said, trying to sit up in her chair but only managing to slouch in his direction. “You should check your feet too.”

“In a moment,” he murmured, lifting her cold hands so he could inspect them as well.

He pressed his lips against her knuckles, eyes drifting closed. Jyn leaned forward and buried her nose in the crown of his hair, damp and slightly musty from sweating in his parka. The skies had been clear during their drop off a few miles away, but then their speeder jammed along the way. With the village in sight, they decided to chance it and hopefully reach the inn before nightfall. Just as they reached the outskirts, snow began to fall and Cassian hooked his arm around her so tightly that she could feel him shiver. They shivered together now, unable to release the cold they brought in with them.

They were interrupted by the innkeeper returning with a mound of pillows, quilts and pelts in her arms. Even though she couldn’t understand a word of Festian, she could understand the woman chiding them for not taking off their wet things and hanging them over the clothes line strung adjacent to the fireplace. Cassian took her wet jacket, socks, and snow pants while she set up their bed on the earthen floor. That was something that surprised her about Fest; for all the industrial metal buildings and Imperial bases, there were still villages like this that clung to a way of life older than Empire. She didn’t know if they would take a detour into the town that Cassian grew up in (or if he wanted to go), but she liked seeing at least a snippet of what life might have been like when he had been younger.

She threw another log on the fire before joining Cassian at the long table pushed against the wall, where the innkeeper served them a spicy red soup with shredded chicken and bloated kernals of corn. Jyn couldn’t get enough of it, even though the spiciness scalded her throat and burned her cheeks red. The old woman chuckled out something as she collected their empty bowls to wash.

“Señora Nieva is happy to have chased the cold out of you,” Cassian translated for her, his cheeks rosy as well. “She was getting worried for you.”

“Tell her that it was the most delicious medicine I’ve ever eaten,” she said, patting her full stomach.

Señora Nieva laughed at that, then reminded them about the fire and warned them that she’d be downstairs early to get breakfast started before heading upstairs. Her bones warm but aching for sleep, Jyn took Cassian by the hand and led him to bed. They kneeled on the top pelt, a thick gray fur of one of the local canine monsters that skulked the mountains. Normally she had her back to him as she let him pull out the bobby pins in her hair, but she faced him instead and enjoyed watching him save her pins in the corner of his mouth. Her eyes rolled back as he ran his fingers through the kinks and waves in her hair

She must have passed out some time between sitting up and laying on the pillow, because now she was under the pelt, four heavy quilts, and Cassian’s arms as he snored. The light in the room was much dimmer than she remembered, the air cool over her face. She turned and saw only a couple of embers glow defiantly in the silver ashes. She tried to twist out of his embrace to stir up the fire again, but Cassian stirred instead. He sat up with her, rubbing his eyes.

“Oh,” Jyn gasped as she looked up at the window over the table, which wasn’t shuddered for some reason.

But she was glad that the innkeeper forgot to shut it, because now they had a view of a gentle snowfall swirling in the moonlight. Cassian squeezed her hand under the blankets as he watched with her. Jyn pressed against his side and rested her head on his shoulder, wanting to stay like this for as long as they could before they had to reignite the fire. His cheek twitched with a smile.

“I forgot how beautiful the snow could be,” he whispered.

 


End file.
